ObjectiveTo compare the clinical features of patients with hepatitis B virus （HBV）-related early-onset liver cancer and those with late-onset liver cancer， to assess the severity of the disease， and to provide a theoretical basis for the early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 695 patients who were diagnosed with HBV-related liver cancer for the first time in Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital， Guangzhou Medical University， from January 2019 to August 2023， among whom 93 had early-onset liver cancer （defined as an age of50 years for female patients and40 years for male patients） and 602 had late-onset liver cancer （defined as an age of ≥50 years for female patients and ≥40 years for male patients）. Related clinical data were collected， including demographic data， clinical symptoms at initial diagnosis， comorbidities， smoking history， drinking history， family history， routine blood test results， biochemical parameters of liver function， serum alpha-fetoprotein（AFP）， virological indicators， coagulation function， and imaging findings. The pan-inflammatory indices neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio （NLR）， platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio （PLR）， and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio （LMR） were calculated， as well as FIB-4 index， aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI）， S index， Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， Child-Turcotte-Pugh （CTP） score， albumin-bilirubin （AIBL） grade， and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer （BCLC） stage. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in the proportion of male patients and the incidence rates of diabetes， hypertension， and fatty liver disease （χ²=6.357， 15.230， 11.467， and 14.204， all P0.05）， and compared with the late-onset liver cancer group， the early-onset liver cancer group had a significantly higher proportion of patients progressing to liver cancer without underlying cirrhosis （χ²=24.657， P0.001） and a significantly higher proportion of patients with advanced BCLC stage （χ²=6.172， P=0.046）. For the overall population， the most common clinical symptoms included abdominal distension， abdominal pain， poor appetite， weakness， a reduction in body weight， edema of both lower limbs， jaundice， yellow urine， and nausea， and 55 patients （7.9%） had no obvious symptoms at the time of diagnosis and were found to have liver cancer by routine reexamination， physical examination suggesting an increase in AFP， or radiological examination indicating hepatic space-occupying lesion； compared with the late-onset liver cancer group， the patients in the early-onset liver cancer group were more likely to have the symptoms of abdominal distension， abdominal pain， and jaundice （all P0.05）. Compared with the late-onset liver cancer group， the early-onset liver cancer group had a significantly larger tumor diameter （Z=2.845， P=0.034）， with higher prevalence rates of multiple tumors and intrahepatic， perihepatic， or distant metastasis （χ²=5.889 and 4.079， both P0.05）， and there were significant differences between the two groups in tumor location and size （χ²=3.948 and 11.317， both P0.05）. Compared with the late-onset liver cancer group， the early-onset liver cancer group had significantly lower FIB-4 index， proportion of patients with HBsAg ≤1 500 IU/mL， and levels of LMR and Cr （all P0.05）， as well as significantly higher positive rate of HBeAg and levels of log₁₀ HBV DNA， AFP， WBC， Hb， PLT， NLR， PLR， TBil， ALT， Alb， and TC （all P0.05）. ConclusionCompared with late-onset liver cancer， patients with early-onset liver cancer tend to develop liver cancer without liver cirrhosis and have multiple tumors， obvious clinical symptoms， and advanced BCLC stage， which indicates a poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal machine learning algorithm for predicting post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) within one year following acute stroke, establish a nomogram model based on this algorithm, and perform external validation to achieve accurate prediction of secondary epilepsy. METHODS: A total of 870 acute stroke patients admitted to the emergency department of Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University from June 2019 to June 2023 were enrolled for model development (model group). An external validation cohort of 435 acute stroke patients admitted to the Fifth Hospital of Xiamen during the same period was used to validate the machine learning algorithms and nomogram model. Patients were classified into control and epilepsy groups based on the development of PSE within one year. Clinical and laboratory data, including baseline characteristics, stroke location, vascular status, complications, hematologic parameters, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, were collected for analysis. Nine machine learning algorithms such as logistic regression, CN2 rule induction, K-nearest neighbors, adaptive boosting, random forest, gradient boosting, support vector machine, naive Bayes, and neural network were applied to evaluate predictive performance. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to identify the optimal algorithm. Logistic regression was used to screen risk factors for PSE, and the top 10 predictors were selected to construct the nomogram model. The predictive performance of the model was evaluated using the ROC curve in both the model and validation groups. RESULTS: Among the 870 patients in the model group, 29 developed PSE within one year. Among the nine algorithms tested, logistic regression demonstrated the best performance and generalizability, with an AUC of 0.923. Univariate logistic regression identified several risk factors for PSE, including platelet count, white blood cell count, red blood cell count, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time, D-dimer, fibrinogen, creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum sodium, lactic acid, anion gap, NIHSS score, brain herniation, periventricular stroke, and carotid artery plaque. Further multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that white blood cell count, HDL, fibrinogen, lactic acid and brain herniation were independent risk factors [odds ratio (OR) were 1.837, 198.039, 47.025, 11.559, 70.722, respectively, all P < 0.05]. In the external validation group, univariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count, white blood cell count, CRP, triacylglycerol, APTT, D-dimer, fibrinogen, CK, CK-MB, LDH, NIHSS score, and cerebral herniation were risk factors for PSE one year after acute stroke. Further multiple logistic regression analysis showed that APTT and cerebral herniation were independent predictors (OR were 0.587 and 116.193, respectively, both P < 0.05). The nomogram model, constructed using 10 key variables-brain herniation, periventricular stroke, carotid artery plaque, white blood cell count, triglycerides, thrombin time, D-dimer, serum sodium, lactic acid, and NIHSS score-achieved an AUC of 0.908 in the model group and 0.864 in the external validation group. CONCLUSIONS The logistic regression-based prediction model for epilepsy one year after acute stroke, developed using machine learning algorithms, showed optimal predictive performance. The nomogram model based on the logistic regression-derived predictors showed strong discriminative power and was successfully validated externally, suggesting favorable clinical applicability and generalizability.
Humans ; Machine Learning ; Stroke/complications* ; Nomograms ; Epilepsy/etiology* ; Algorithms ; Male ; Female ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Bayes Theorem

Objective: To investigate the effects of low-dose-cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanning protocols on image quality and radiation dose in patients with cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 96 patients with cervical cancer who underwent radiotherapy at a hospital between January 2022 and December 2024 were enrolled in this study. Patient were divided into three groups based on CBCT scanning parameters: an ultra-low-dose group (30 cases), a low-dose group(30 cases), and a routine-dose group (36 cases). The tube voltage was set at 120 kV for all groups, while the tube currents were 132, 215, and 675.8 mAs, respectively. The effects of different scanning parameters on image quality, as indicated by spatial resolution, noise, uniformity, low-contrast resolution, and geometric accuracy, were analyzed. The radiation dose inpatients under different scanning parameters was measured. An analysis of variance was performed. Results: Under the three different scanning parameters, 4-6 clear line pairs were visible in each group. There were no significant differences in spatial resolution or geometric accuracy in different directions among groups (all P > 0.05). However, as the tube current increased, noise, uniformity, and low contrast resolution decreased. When the tube current increased from 132 mAs to 215 mAs, noise decreased by approximately 33.57%, uniformity by approximately 26.30%, and low-contrast resolution by approxim- ately 30.55%. When the tube current increased from 215 mAs to 675.8 mAs, noise decreased by approximately 35.61%, uniformity by approximately 12.68%, and low-contrast resolution by approximately 19.91%. These differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The radiation doses in patients under different CBCT scanning parameters followed the order of ultra-low-dose group < low-dose group < routine-dose group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conciusion Reducing the tube current during CBCT scanning does not affect the image spatial resolution or geometric accuracy in cervical cancer patients, has a minimal impact on overall image quality, and effectively reduces the additional radiation dose received by patients

Objective To explore the association between peripheral retinal defocus and myopia in adolescents.Methods This study encompassed 192 adolescents(192 right eyes),aged between eight and fifteen years,who sought treatment at Ineye Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM from October 2022 to April 2023.Based on the spherical equiva-lent(SE),the patients were divided into three groups:Emmetropia(E),low myopia(LM),and moderate myopia(MM),with each group comprising 64 patients(64 right eyes).After mydriatic refraction,the SE values were documen-ted.Ocular biological parameters,including axial length(AL),central corneal thickness(CCT),lens thickness(LT),and keratometry values(K1,K2),were obtained using IOL Master 900.Multispectral refraction topography was employed to measure the retinal defocus:positive values indicated hyperopic defocus,while negative ones represented myopic defocus.With the macular fovea as the center,the total retinal defocus value was recorded as TRDV.The ring partition(eccentrici-ty)was divided into 0°-10°、＞10°-20°、＞20°-30°、＞30°-40°、＞40°-53°,which was recorded as RDV-0°-10°,RDV-10°-20°,RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40°,and RDV-40°-53°,respectively;the quadrants were recorded as RDV-Superior(RDV-S),RDV-Inferior(RDV-I),RDV-Temporal(RDV-T)and RDV-Nasal(RDV-N),respectively.The variance of RDV across different ranges was analyzed using One-Way ANOVA and non-parametric tests.The associations between SE,AL and RDV were examined using Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses.Results The RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40° and RDV-40°-53° of Groups E,LM and MM all exhibited hyperopic defocus.Statistically significant differences were identi-fied in TRDV,RDV-10°-20°,RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40°,RDV-40°-53°,RDV-S,RDV-T and RDV-N among the three groups(all P＜0.05).TRDV,RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40°,RDV-40°-53°,RDV-S,RDV-T,and RDV-N were found to be negatively correlated with SE while positively correlated with AL(all P＜0.05).RDV-0°-10° and RDV-I were uncorrelated with both SE and AL(all P＞0.05);RDV-10°-20° was positively correlated with AL(P=0.012)while uncorrelated with SE(P=0.233).Conclusion Peripheral retinal hyperopic defocus tends to advance with escalating eccentricity and my-opia.Peripheral retinal defocus is asymmetrical.Peripheral(10°-53°),superior,nasal and temporal retinal defocus may be closely related to the development of myopia.

Objective To explore the changes in periretinal defocus and visual quality after femtosecond laser-assis-ted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).Methods Fifty-one myopic patients(102 eyes)who underwent FS-LASIK at the Ineye Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March to May 2023 were selected for the study,including 27 females(54 eyes)and 24 males(48 eyes).The defocus around the retina was measured using a multispectral refraction topography,and the total refraction difference value(TRDV)was recorded.The refraction difference value(RDV)in four quadrants:superior RDV(RDV-S),inferior RDV(RDV-I),nasal RDV(RDV-N),and temporal RDV(RDV-T),as well as the RDV in the concentric ring areas corresponding to 10°,20°,30°,40°,and 53° from the fovea of the mac-ula(represented as RDV 0°-10°,RDV 10°-20°,RDV 20°-30°,RDV 30°-40°,and RDV 40°-53°,respectively)were also re-corded.The objective scattering index(OSI),Strehls ratio(SR),modulation transfer function(MTF)values(represen-ted as 10 c·d-1 MTF,20 c·d-1 MTF,and 30 c·d-1MTF,respectively)and cutoff frequencies(MTF cutoff)at the spa-tial frequencies of 10 c·d-1,20 c·d-1 and 30 c·d-1 were measured and recorded using a visual quality analysis system.The data of corneal vertical trefoil(Z3-3),vertical coma(Z3-1),horizontal coma(Z31),horizontal trefoil(Z33),vertical tetrafoil(Z4-4),vertical secondary astigmatism(Z4-2),spherical aberration(Z40),horizontal secondary astigmatism(Z42),horizontal tetrafoil(Z44),and total higher-order aberration(HOA)were measured and recorded using the iTrace aberration meter.The measurement data of patients before surgery,one month after surgery,and three months after sur-gery were compared,and their correlations were analyzed.Results TRDV,RDV-S,RDV-N,RDV 20°-30°,RDV 30°-40°,and RDV 40°-53° around the retina of patients decreased one month and three months after surgery compared with those be-fore surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.001).There were statistically significant differences in OSI,MTF cutoff,and 10 c·d-1 MTF among patients before surgery,one month after surgery,and three months after surgery(all P＜0.05).There were statistically significant differences in corneal Z3-3,Z3-1,Z31,Z33,Z4-4,Z4-2,Z40,Z42,Z44,and HOA among patients before surgery,one month after surgery,and three months after surgery(all P＜0.001).The Pearson correlation analysis results showed that,ΔRDV 0°-10° was positively correlated with ΔZ3-3,ΔZ31,ΔZ4-2,ΔZ40,and ΔZ42(all P＜0.05);ΔRDV 10°-20° was positively correlated with ΔZ4-4 and ΔZ4-2(both P＜0.05);ΔRDV 20°-30° was positively correlated with ΔZ4-4 and ΔZ44(both P＜0.05);ΔTRDV and ΔRDV 40°-53° were negatively correla-ted with ΔHOA(both P＜0.05).ΔRDV-S and ΔZ3-1 were negatively correlated with ΔHOA(both P＜0.05)and positively correlated with ΔZ44(P＜0.05);ΔRDV-N was positively correlated with ΔZ4-4(P＜0.05).Conclusion FS-LASIK can reduce periretinal hyperopic defocus in myopic patients,but it introduces corneal HOA,and there is a certain correlation between the two.

Objective:To investigate the impact of elevated glucose-induced RNA oxidation on pancreatic β-cell function, activity, and underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods:Rat pancreatic islet β-cell tumour INS-1 cells were cultured in vitro and subjected to nucleic acid oxidation assessment using isotope dilution ultra-high performance liquid tandem mass spectrometry(ID LC MS/MS)following high glucose exposure.In vitro simulation of increased RNA oxidation in INS-1 cells was achieved using 8-oxoguanosine-5'-triphosphate(8-oxoGTP).Cell proliferation was evaluated through CCK-8 assay, apoptosis was measured via flow cytometry, and gene expression of insulin(INS), pancreatic-duodenal homologous cassette 1(PDX1), cysteine-aspartate proteinase 3(Casp3), and cysteine aspartate protease 6(Casp6)was analyzed at the mRNA level.Additionally, whole transcriptome sequencing was performed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of RNA oxidation on INS-1 cells.Results:Elevated glucose levels induced an increase in RNA oxidation within INS-1 cells.This heightened RNA oxidation led to the inhibition of INS-1 cell proliferation, a reduction in mRNA levels of INS and PDX1 genes, and the promotion of apoptosis-related casp3 and casp6 gene mRNA synthesis.Transcriptome sequencing analysis unveiled that the elevated RNA oxidation caused differential expression of mRNA, lncRNA, miRNA, and circRNA in INS-1 cells.This included a significant down-regulation of transcription factors such as Mafa, Pdx1, Pax6, and Mnx1, alongside an up-regulation of various miRNAs like rno-miR-124-3p, rno-miR-133a-3p, rno-miR-3120, rno-miR-212-3p, and rno-miR-7a-2-3p.These molecular changes contributed to the altered expression of associated lncRNAs, ultimately hindering insulin synthesis and secretion, as well as β-cell proliferation.Conclusions:Increased RNA oxidation down-regulates the levels of key β-cell transcription factor mRNAs, contributes to the differential expression of related non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs), particularly lncRNAs, impacts β-cell insulin synthesis and secretion, hinders cell proliferation, and serves as a significant factor in β-cell dysfunction and decreased activity in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).

Background::Breast cancer (BC) risk-stratification tools for Asian women that are highly accurate and can provide improved interpretation ability are lacking. We aimed to develop risk-stratification models to predict long- and short-term BC risk among Chinese women and to simultaneously rank potential non-experimental risk factors.Methods::The Breast Cancer Cohort Study in Chinese Women, a large ongoing prospective dynamic cohort study, includes 122,058 women aged 25-70 years old from the eastern part of China. We developed multiple machine-learning risk prediction models using parametric models (penalized logistic regression, bootstrap, and ensemble learning), which were the short-term ensemble penalized logistic regression (EPLR) risk prediction model and the ensemble penalized long-term (EPLT) risk prediction model to estimate BC risk. The models were assessed based on calibration and discrimination, and following this assessment, they were externally validated in new study participants from 2017 to 2020.Results::The AUC values of the short-term EPLR risk prediction model were 0.800 for the internal validation and 0.751 for the external validation set. For the long-term EPLT risk prediction model, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.692 and 0.760 in internal and external validations, respectively. The net reclassification improvement index of the EPLT relative to the Gail and the Han Chinese Breast Cancer Prediction Model (HCBCP) models for external validation was 0.193 and 0.233, respectively, indicating that the EPLT model has higher classification accuracy.Conclusions::We developed the EPLR and EPLT models to screen populations with a high risk of developing BC. These can serve as useful tools to aid in risk-stratified screening and BC prevention.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the qualitative research on rehabilitation experience of patients after hip and knee arthroplasty, so as to provide theoretical reference for nursing workers to scientifically and reasonably carry out nursing services.Methods:The research is a Meta-synthesis of qualitative research. Computer retrieval of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, WanFang and China Biology Medicine disc was conducted to collect articles on qualitative research of patients' experience in rehabilitation after artificial joint replacement. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of the database to February 27, 2022. The quality of article was evaluated using the quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of the Australian Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Center. The results were integrated and analyzed using the pooled integration method.Results:A total of 17 articles were included, including 8 phenomenological studies, 3 rooted theoretical studies, and 6 descriptive studies. The quality evaluation of 17 articles were all Grade B. Finally, 3 integration results were obtained, forming 8 new categories, namely, the challenge of "returning to normality" (category 1: recovery of individual physical and mental state; category 2: return to normal life; category 3: return to family and social roles) , desire for multi-dimensional support (category 1: desire for continuous medical information support; category 2: emotional social support was of great significance) , changing self-coping styles (category 1: positive behavioral coping strategies; category 2: positive psychological adjustment strategies; category 3: reliance on spirit and belief) .Conclusions:The rehabilitation experience of patients after arthroplasty mainly includes the challenge of "returning to normality", the desire for multi-dimensional support and the changing self-coping styles. Medical staff should pay attention to the physical and mental changes, information and emotional needs of patients after joint replacement, and provide targeted support and help to accelerate the progress of patients' postoperative rehabilitation, improve their quality of life, and deepen their social integration.

Objective:To explore the commonly used ear acupoints and their selection and compatibility rules for the treatment of primary hypertension with auricular acupressure.Methods:Systematic research was conducted on China Biology Medicine disc, VIP Information Chinese Journal Service Platform, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, CNKI, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, and the search period was from establishment of the databases until December 31, 2022. Excel 2021 was used to establish the database, and R Studio software was used to analyze the principles of ear acupoint compatibility correlation.Results:A total of 165 articles were included, of which 136 articles were solely treated with auricular acupressure for primary hypertension and 29 articles were treated with other intervention measures. The common syndrome types were hyperactivity of liver fire, stagnation of phlegm, Yin deficiency and Yang hyperactivity, and deficiency of both Yin and Yang. The common acupoints were Shenmen (15.1%, 135/894) , Jiangya Gou (14.09%, 126/894) , Sympathetic (10.63%, 95/894) , Liver (10.29%, 92/894) , Heart (9.73%, 87/894) , Kidney (9.06%, 81/894) , and Subcortical (6.94%, 62/894) .Common acupoint combinations included Shenmen-Jiangya Gou-Sympathetic-Liver-Kidney, Shenmen-Jiangya Gou-Liver-Kidney, Shenmen-Jiangya Gou-Sympathetic, and Shenmen-Jiangya Gou.Conclusions:The treatment of primary hypertension with auricular acupressure has a certain regularity, which can provide reliable references for selecting acupoints for clinical treatment of primary hypertension.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is currently the main cause of chronic liver disease worldwide， and it can progress to hepatitis， liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Although obesity plays a key role in the development of NAFLD， more and more studies have confirmed that NAFLD still exists in lean individuals， and lean NAFLD is associated with an increased risk of death and accelerated disease progression. Therefore， lean NAFLD also deserves careful evaluation and follow-up； however， we still know little about the pathophysiological mechanism of lean NAFLD. This article reviews the etiology， diagnosis， treatment， and prognosis of lean NAFLD.